The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is transforming how machines connect and optimize operations across industries. While its real-world application is still in its early stages, IIoT offers businesses the opportunity to improve manufacturing and industrial processes. But before deciding to implement IIoT, it’s crucial to consider its technological capabilities and the goals you wish to achieve.
Technological Background
IIoT uses sensors, advanced analytics, and intelligent decision-making to revolutionize how a company’s operational assets communicate across its network. Unlike consumer IoT or traditional machine-to-machine (M2M) systems, IIoT demands greater focus on communication and autonomous, peer-to-peer (P2P) distributed control.
The IIoT environment has specific performance and reliability requirements—such as fault tolerance, security, and physical connectivity—that must be met. These requirements can pose challenges to scaling this technology across industries.
In 2018, the big data market was valued at $31 billion, with IIoT data contributing to its growth. As IIoT continues to evolve, it will further drive advancements in data collection and analysis.
The Data Challenge
A key consideration when adopting IIoT is how to handle the vast amounts of data generated by IIoT devices. Many manufacturing companies may find their current data management strategies outdated, requiring them to develop a new approach closely aligned with their business goals. Data growth in IIoT is often unpredictable, and businesses cannot risk it negatively impacting existing production operations.
To manage this influx of data, the recommended approach is to isolate IIoT data and either archive or manage it in a separate environment. Typically, this data is sent to a central cloud service, where it is aggregated and shared with relevant stakeholders.
However, extracting meaningful insights from IIoT data is one of the biggest challenges. The use of analytics, particularly streaming analytics, allows companies to quickly respond to IoT events from industrial processes.
Security Considerations
IIoT devices, which often lack built-in security features, can be challenging to update or manage and are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Securing IIoT devices is a critical component of any IIoT deployment strategy. Companies must ensure that their IIoT devices are properly protected and regularly updated to minimize security risks.
Use Cases for IIoT Analytics
IIoT analytics can be applied across various operational functions to drive efficiency and ensure optimal performance. Some of the key use cases include:
- Equipment Monitoring: Ensuring that field equipment is working as intended, including remote commissioning and real-time monitoring.
- Capacity Planning: Monitoring unplanned downtime and system capacity to identify areas for improvement.
- Root Cause Analysis: Analyzing device failures and troubleshooting remotely to prevent recurring issues.
- Anomaly Detection: Identifying deviations that may indicate problems in production or system commissioning.
- Safety and Compliance: Monitoring complex systems for performance and generating alerts when safety thresholds are reached. Cybersecurity: Monitoring industrial systems for vulnerabilities and mitigating potential risks.
Implementing IIoT
Deploying IIoT technology requires an investment in smart sensors, as well as efforts to integrate and secure them. Additionally, companies must create a strategy for processing and analyzing the data these sensors generate. Deciding who will manage IIoT issues within the company is also essential. The management must establish clear business goals and determine the organizational changes necessary to achieve them.
The most successful IIoT projects often begin with small, measurable goals that are focused on achieving specific results. If your company is unsure about implementing IIoT on its own, partnering with systems integrators that offer comprehensive solutions can help. It’s advisable to pay special attention to services and products that focus on data analytics, which will be crucial to extracting actionable insights from the data.
Benefits of IIoT
Adopting IIoT offers several advantages for organizations, including:
- Connecting people, data, and processes across the enterprise to identify bottlenecks and improve workflow efficiency.
- Faster, more accurate planning and decision-making enabled by real-time data.
- Detailed performance insights and quality control improvements across operations.
- Predictive maintenance to optimize equipment and facility maintenance costs.
- Better inventory management and optimization of logistics and the supply chain.
- Enhanced security of both equipment and data.
- New business models and service portfolio expansion driven by IIoT capabilities.
However, many organizations still lack the proper data management processes and in-house expertise to handle the large volumes of streaming data generated by IIoT. Addressing these gaps and building a team of data scientists will be essential for successfully leveraging IIoT technology.